A recent judge’s ruling in Illinois will make it more difficult for women to obtain Plan B, an emergency contraception that works to prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. 

Via CBN.com:

On Tuesday, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge John Belz struck down a 6-year-old state law that required Illinois pharmacies to dispense emergency contraception.

“We’re thrilled,” Mark Rienzi, a Catholic University law professor and one of the pharmacy owners lawyers, said after the ruling.  

“The law of Illinois and the law of the United States make it clear that people can enter the health care profession without having to check their conscience or religion at the door,” he said.

Glen Kosirog and Luke Vander Bleek, the pharmacists in the case, told CBN News they believe “Plan B” is an abortion pill. They pointed out that while the drug is designed to prevent fertilization, it can also kill a fertilized egg.

The circuit court judge appeared to sympathize with the pharmacists, ruling that forcing them to sell the pill would violate their right-of-conscience under Illinois law, and their religious rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Plan B is actually not an “abortion pill” but works to prevent fertilization.  It has no effect on women who are already pregnant.

The ruling is expected to be appealed.

Meanwhile, Catholic groups in the state are also pushing to force women seeking abortions to have to have mandatory ultrasounds and provide them to pregnant women prior to the procedure as a “courtesy.”  According to the Chicago Tribune:

[Catholic Conference of Illinois] would like to require women to view ultrasounds when considering abortion, but it says that wouldn’t pass in Illinois.

Opponents say the legislation would create an unnecessary hour of waiting time that is meant to be used to change a woman’s mind about the abortion.

Less prevention, more restrictions.  Sounds right.